The Hilarious Romance Between The Brute and The Flea
by Kurokochiii
Summary: After years of fighting, Izaya decides he is no longer interested in playing with Shizuo. He decides to go out and tell the 'brute' just that so hopefully, they can move on with their lives. Unfortunately, Shizuo misunderstood! He thinks Izaya doesn't want to fight him because the 'flea' is in love with him leaving the whole of Ikebukuro in chaos.
1. Chapter 1

Izaya sat at his desk solemnly, his hands holding his chin while his eyes stared at nothing in particular. Someone who had never heard of Izaya (though that would be nearly impossible) might think that the raven haired man was daydreaming about something unimportant and may even conclude that he was a slacker. However, anyone who even shared a small conversation with the tiny male would understand just how absolutely intelligent he was, as well as extremely dangerous. Izaya's crimson orbs were narrowed thoughtfully, as he was deep in thought. Across the room and stationed on his couch sat his assistant Namie, who watched him carefully and silently. She knew how severe the consequences were if she interrupted the insane man's thinking process. After many hours of absolute quiet Izaya stood up quickly, with the usual silly smile splayed across his face. "Of course! Why didn't I think of this before?"

"What idiotic plan have you come up with now?" Namie spoke sarcastically, secretly relieved that the waiting was over. She frowned at Izaya, wondering what had gotten him so excited. Luckily, Izaya was more than happy to tell his brilliant plan. "You see Namie, the brute is always coming after me for various reasons right?" He walked out from behind his desk and over to Namie. She inched away, trying not to show her employer the nervousness in her eyes. "I'm sorry, you mean when you show up in Ikebukuro, intentionally piss him off, and then he chases you?" Namie said dryly.

"Exactly! Well, I've grown tired of this game. I no longer want to fight him so I've been trying to think of a way to stop this. It's not like I can just stay out of Ikebukuro, as that's home to the most interesting humans~!" Izaya gave a light hearted grin, though his eyes were fixed on Namie, analyzing her every move. He watched as his assistant shifted uncomfortably, while her face was a mask of coldness. Honestly, she really is the worst at hiding her true thoughts. He thought to himself, enjoying her discomfort. "So I came to this conclusion! Basically, if I appeal to Shizu-chan's more human side through a civilized conversation then he'll be too confused to fight me and will agree since he will know I don't plan on messing with him anymore." Izaya finished proudly, happy with himself. Namie rolled her eyes in exasperation. "It took you that long to come up with simply talking to him. But then again," Namie smirked, "You always do get nervous whenever it involves him. Always trying to get his attention but only for a quick chase. Pathetic, really." Izaya turned away from her, though she could swear she saw the informant's eyes darken with a look of pure fury.

"Ice woman, I've already told you I'm a god. I can't fathom the idea of having a conversation with Shizu-chan because he's such a lowly beast. Really, you should use your brain more." Izaya spoke calmly. He grabbed his trademark coat, slipping in a few knives. Just in case of course. When he turned back to Namie, his usual smile had returned and his eyes were gleaming with anticipation and excitement. "I'm leaving now, so I don't need you for the rest of the night. Go home." Izaya skipped to the door and flung it open, practically dancing out. Ah Shizu-chan, I really can't wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Izaya walked confidently through the throng of people surrounding him as he made his way through Ikebukuro. The train ride there had taken much too long and now he was feeling rather impatient. He wanted to get this over with so he could go back to his jobs carefree. Still, the look on his face will be a pleasant surprise. Izaya gave a small laugh, wondering what the brute first reaction would be. He glanced at his phone, scanning through the Dollars website in hopes of someone mentioning how they saw and "survived" the great Heiwajima Shizuo. Izaya rolled his eyes at the mere thought of someone other than himself being able to take on that monster. After finding nothing, Izaya began to rake his eyes through the crowd, searching for a taller man with bright blonde hair and wearing a bartender suit. When no one that matched this appearance Izaya sat down on the bench and took a break, watching his beloved humans go about their daily business. "IZAAAAYAAAAA!" A furious bellow swept throughout the city, causing everyone to freeze in fear.

"My my Shizu-chan, there's no need to shout." Izaya stood up and turned to face the protozoan with his usual smirk displayed across his face. Shizuo stood a few feet away from him, his hands already holding a street sign. "Before you go all hulk on me, I'm not here to fight." Izaya began, trying not to start a chase. He watched as the blonde's eyes went from confusion to disbelief. "Yeah right, flea. You're always up to something." He snarled. The people around them backed away slowly and soon everyone went along with their day, ignoring the two enemies. Izaya sighed and leaned against a brick wall. "I'm telling the truth." He said calmly and to assure Shizuo, he took out one of his knives and threw it on the ground, away from both of them. Izaya still had two knives secure inside his pockets but he knew Shizuo wouldn't think twice about anything like this. His gamble was right and he watched Shizuo slowly set down the sign and glare at him. "What the fuck do you want then?"

"Tsk, such vulgar language. Anyway Shizu-chan, it's clear you want to kill me. However, I am rather opposed to fighting you nowadays." Izaya dropped his smirk and spoke seriously, wanting the monster to know he wasn't playing around. Shizuo frowned and folded his arms, staring thoughtfully at the smaller male. "Really? I always thought you loved making my life a living hell." He spat in return.

"Well I used to. Still, I'd rather not," Izaya tried to appeal to Shizuo, "cause you harm anymore. We've both been risking our lives in this stupid game of tag and I'd rather not continue it. So I've decided that, while I can't leave Ikebukuro, I will stop...bothering you." He finished, hoping his plan had worked. Sure, he'd told a few white lies here and there, but it was mostly true! Mostly. Shizuo's eyes had lost their malice and he was thinking over what the louse head said quite calmly. "You're saying you don't want to fight anymore because you don't hate me anymore?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah sure." Izaya gave an inward groan, staring at the ground so the blonde wouldn't have to see his face and realize he was lying. Shizuo was always very perceptive and usually figured out whenever the brunette wasn't telling the truth.

Shizuo on the other hand looked at Izaya with astonishment. _I guess it took a lot of courage for the flea to say this. Even now, he's staring at the ground trying to hide his embarrassment._ He thought, wondering what had gotten Izaya so "flustered". "Oh. Oh." He said out loud, coming to his own conclusion. _Who thought Izaya would confess his love to me of all people?_


	3. Chapter 3

Izaya looked up when he heard Shizuo speak. "Does that mean we don't have to fight anymore?" He asked, hoping the brute had gotten the message. Izaya smiled when he saw Shizuo nod and picked his knife off the ground, shoving it back into his pocket. "Great, glad that's over with then. I'll see you-" He broke off as the protozoan's hand brushed through his hair. Startled, he pulled back, ready to grab his knife and defend himself from what he presumed to be an act of provocation. "What are you doing?" Izaya narrowed his eyes, trying to hide his shock.

"Well, I can't say I'm not flattered. Still, I'd like to get to know you a bit more before any of that so why don't we start hanging out?" He smiled apologetically. Izaya tilted his head, confused by the turn this simple conversation had taken. "What do you mean? You're saying you want to be friends? You hate me."

"I mean that if you can have human feelings like this then you aren't the person I took you for. Knowing that, I can't exactly hate you and I would like to start over. How 'bout it?" Shizuo offered his hand to the smaller male, trying to look as less threatening as he possibly could. Izaya on the other hand was so taken aback by this that his jaw hung open. Shizuo, realizing that the brunette was surprised, took one of his small hands in his own before shaking them. "I'll see you around, Izaya." With that he walked away, mind feeling clear and a slight smile on his face. Izaya watched him go with a dumbfounded look, wondering where he went wrong. "O-Oi, don't tell me I have to play along with this..." He spoke to himself incredulously.

Izaya was back at home, pacing back and forth in absolute frustration. "Dammit Shizu-chan...how can you be that freaking stupid?!" He swore furiously, trying desperately to get out of the situation. He couldn't inform Shizuo that he'd misunderstood because the brute would definitely think of it as the informant was lying to him. Still, he couldn't just sit back and became friends with the debt collector! Izaya's nose screwed up at even the thought! He didn't have friends! He was a God! A beep that indicated a new message sounded from his phone, interrupting the small man's thoughts. 'Do you want to go out for sushi?' Speak of the devil, it was Shizuo asking if they could hang out. Izaya let out a groan and flopped onto his couch. "This is the absolute worst!" Making up his mind, Izaya called Shizuo, hoping to settle this once and for all. The phone rang twice before the moron answered. "Hey." Shizuo's voice sounded vibrantly through the phone.

"You asked if I wanted to go for sushi." Izaya said bluntly.

"I figured it'd be the perfect chance to get to know each other." Izaya could hear Shizuo's smile through the phone and felt a slight twinge inside his heart. Izaya bit his lip. "W-What time?" He forced out. Wait, what are you doing? "How about an hour from now? It'll be at Simon's place." Shizuo informed him.

"I'll see you then." Izaya replied. What the hell are you doing! Shut up and tell him to screw off! "See you...Izaya." Shizuo's happy tone ended as the blonde hung up, leaving a stunned informant to stare at his phone wondering what he had just done. It was almost like he'd been possessed, unable to control his actions. It was like...he wanted to see Shizuo.


	4. Chapter 4

Izaya trudged up to the well-known sushi place, cursing under his breath every step of the way. He passed Simon with his hood up, hoping to go unnoticed. "Oi, it's I-zaya. You come for sushi? Sushi helps cure all!" The man grinned at him. Izaya looked away, not in the mood for a conversation all on sushi. "Yes, I'm here for dinner. It was hardly my decision though." Izaya rolled his eyes, hoping to go inside so no attention would be focused on him. Simon was about to reply when Izaya suddenly felt two hands land on his shoulder. He whipped around, trying to pull out his knives when the stranger stopped him. "Honestly, are you always this paranoid?" Shizuo laughed before walking over to stand in front of Izaya, a bright smile placed on his face.

"I wouldn't say paranoid as much as being cautious." Izaya frowned, already growing annoyed. Shizuo paid no heed to the informant's reaction to his surprise "attack" and took the smaller man's hand in his own. "Come on, let's grab a seat." He smiled. Izaya tried to glare at Shizuo but instead was quickly pulled along into the store, leaving a very confused Simon in their wake.

"What kind of sushi do you like?" Shizuo questioned, sipping on his drink. Izaya's mouth curled in disgust as he watched the brute slurp endlessly out of a strawberry milkshake, something so sweet he wanted to gag just looking at the blonde. He turned away, trying once again not to start a fight. "I like ootoro." He said quietly, taking a small amount of water in his own mouth. Shizuo gaped at him in astonishment. "Seriously? That's super bitter!" The blonde shuddered at the mere thought of allowing something like that into his body.

"I prefer things bitter." Izaya replied, giving his order to the waiter as he came around. Out of habit, Izaya watched the humans eat and converse, noting at how many of them were giving the infamous duo a stare of absolute horror. They must think the world is ending. He snorted in contempt. "Hey, try not to think about other people for once. Give yourself some thought." Shizuo advised from his left, staring at Izaya in concern. Why the hell is he so interested in me now? Izaya grumbled inside his head. He planned on being absolutely miserable for the entire meal, but as soon as the plate containing his food arrived, Izaya lost it and began smiling like and idiot. He quickly took a bite, savoring the delectable flavor. "You're pretty cute when you aren't doing the whole villain act you know." A voice interrupted Izaya's thoughts.

"I'm always the villain and it isn't an act. Don't call me cute." Izaya tried to hide the light flush on his cheeks as he took another bite out of his food. Shizuo grinned, enjoying this side of the informant that he was seeing. Forgetting about his own plate of food, the debt collector watched Izaya with interest, loving the way he didn't seem to have a care in the world while knowing the brunette's intelligent way of thinking never stopped. Suddenly, a clever idea popped into Shizuo's head. He was here to see just exactly what Izaya would do...so why not go all the way. He leaned over to Izaya, watching as the man swallowed his last piece of ootoro and stared back at him curiously. "What is it?" Izaya asked.

"A test." Shizuo shoved his lips against Izaya's expecting that he would immediately recoil from the bitter and harsh taste of the ootoro. Instead, the sweetness of the raven haired man's mouth had overtaken it and provided the ex bartender with the best taste he could ever ask for. Like getting addicted to a drug, Shizuo surrendered and closed his eyes, not noticing Izaya's that were wide with horror.


	5. Chapter 5

Izaya wasn't sure if he was dreaming. To be more specific, he wasn't sure if he was stuck in the middle of a Freddy Kruger nightmare. The feel of much too sweet lips on his own was very foreign. Perhaps he could forgive this, though. If it wasn't the monster. Yes, the damn brute was in the middle of kissing him at this very moment! Izaya stared at Shizuo in absolute shock, mind racing with thousands of murderous thoughts.

 _Is he-no, this must be a mistake!_

 _Why would he-?_

 _SINCE WHEN IS THIS GUY INTO MEN?!_

Izaya watched in terror as Shizuo pulled him in close, the familiar smell of cigarettes wrapping around him. He was too confused appalled to even push the asshole away! Shizuo's eyes were closed, face in an absolute state of bliss as his tongue eagerly began to explore the small raven's mouth. Arms brought Izaya in closer so that he was practically sitting on the blonde's lap. After a few minutes of furiously ranting inwardly, Izaya was about to tell the monster off until he heard a suspicious sound erupt from said beast's throat. Two hands slammed into Shizuo's chest and he luckily lurched backwards, too surprised to even brace himself. Mask completely off, Izaya growled and immediately a flash of silver reflected through the air as the informant pressed his trademark switchblade against Shizuo's neck.

"What the absolute fuck was that?!" Izaya screeched, red eyes blazing with the flames of Hell. Shizuo stared at the enraged flea, confused to no end.

"I kissed you?" He replied bluntly, tipping his head to the side. Wasn't Izaya in love with him? Shizuo frowned, seeing the informant tremble with obvious disgust. He couldn't understand. Granted, Shizuo never understood went on in that guy's head. Was Izaya just being a tsundere? The blonde tipped his head, thinking over his earlier discussions with Erika on different types of deres. She had said that Izaya was a definite tsundere or...himedere was it? Still, this seemed too much even for the louse. Shizuo had never seen him so upset before and he felt briefly guilty. _Did I kiss him the wrong way?_

Izaya had no idea what was going on with the brute and that made him go livid. "You can't just kiss me! What the hell, you monster?! First you say you want to be friends with me now all the sudden you're sexually assaulting me?! I hate you! There's a reason I said I didn't want to fight with you anymore and that's because you're simply a waste of my precious time! Leave me alone!" He hissed.

Shizuo went still, feeling like he'd been dunked in cold water. _What?_ The flea-the Flea had said-! Izaya didn't want this? Then why had he agreed to go to Russia Sushi with him in the first place...Oh shit.

At the same time Izaya and Shizuo both suddenly remembered that they were indeed still in public. Hesitantly, they turned their heads. Everyone in the restaurant had their jaws hung open, staring blankly at the two strongest men in Ikebukuro. Spilled drinks wet the floor and food burned in the kitchen. Simon was the only one brave enough to start smiling and serving again.

Izaya didn't wait for Shizuo's reply, instead flipping his hood up and running out of the restaurant. Shizuo watched him leave, not following. All he knew was that he _had_ to feel those soft lips on his once more.


	6. Chapter 6

Izaya stumbled through the streets of Ikebukuro, muttering under his breath. People watched him warily and kept their distance. The usually happy and insane Izaya was one you wanted to avoid. Talking to an obviously pissed off Izaya? That was asking for a death wish. He kept a steady pace, holding his head high as he made his way to Shinjuku. For once, Izaya didn't take his time observing his lovely humans going about their days. No, a dark cloud had formed in his mind and he could focus on one thing. Heiwajima Shizuo, the man who had been trying to kill him for nearly a decade, _kissed_ him. The guy who made his life a living hell! Izaya groaned as his head tried to wrap itself around what happened and he sat down on a nearby bench to think.

Wasn't it just yesterday when he told the brute that he no longer wanted to play with him? Izaya had made it clear, hadn't he? He swore he could distinctly remember saying he wasn't interested in their fights anymore. How had the brute concluded from Izaya basically saying 'leave me alone' to 'oh my dearest Shizu-chan, I love you with all my heart! Please do kiss me in public without my permission!'? Izaya winced at thinking of himself saying such detestable nonsense. As someone who wanted to become God, he didn't have time for friends, much less a lover!

Wait wait wait.

The problem wasn't even the fact that Izaya didn't want a lover. The problem was that it had been _Shizuo_ who kissed him. Yes, that's right. Just a simple kiss, he was getting way too ahead of himself. Why did he even think of that monster as a lover? That's obviously not what happened!

Izaya rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on from his racing thoughts as the bustling city moved around him. He shook his head, now was not the time to think of something this...trivial. That's right, this was just a one time thing! Shizuo obviously knew now that Izaya didn't want that sort of thing and would drop the subject. Yes, what was he getting so worked up over? This was Shizuo, he was talking about! The protozoan hated him and one simple dinner couldn't change that no matter what. Feeling much better, Izaya felt a smirk spread across his face as he stood back up. He was the great Orihara Izaya, why should this even faze him? It shouldn't.

Brushing off his shoulders as if he was wiping away his problems, Izaya began walking down the streets of Ikebukuro once more. A small buzz on his phone alerted Izaya as he opened it happily. At once, his grin fell off. There was the picture of Shizuo pulling in Izaya for a kiss. The sender was no other than Tsukomoya Shinichi. Izaya groaned, sliding the phone back in his coat pocket. He'd rather just have this whole accident put behind him. Deciding to turn off his phone, Izaya skipped joyfully through Ikebukuro again, making every one of his precious humans roll their eyes.

Of course, it was hard to forget what Tsukomoya had said under the picture. The thought kept wiggling its way into the small informant's mind. No matter, he'd teach that stupid man a lesson one of these days. However, Tsukomoya's message repeated over and over in a soft mantra inside Izaya's head

 _'This will be fun, won't it? Orihara-kun.'_


	7. Chapter 7

_-Kanra has joined the chatroom-_ Bakyura: **It's about time!** Saika: **Welcome back, Kanra-san.** Taro: **Hello**

Izaya frowned as he read over the greetings from his phone. The most disturbing one was from Bakyura, or Masaomi Kida. The informant knew very well just how much the blond kid hated his guts and how he wanted nothing to do with him. That's why it struck him as extremely odd for the boy to seem to have been awaiting his arrival into the chat. He shrugged, choosing to ignore it for now.

Kanra **: Hi hi~! Your superstar Kanra has returned OI ^w^ IO** Bakyura: **Kanra, have you heard the news? I'm sure you'll love it seeing how you're always one to gossip!** Taro: **Bakyura, take it easy** Saika: **But you have to admit it's really interesting, Taro! Setton was so surprised she left** Kanra: **Oh? Setton was here?** Taro: **Yes, but she left soon after hearing the news** Saika: **I'm actually surprised you haven't heard about it, Kanra** Kanra: **?**

Izaya's crimson eyes narrowed as he stared at his computer screen thoughtfully, waiting for someone to deliver him this spectacular news that seemed to have everyone in an uproar. It seemed to effect Celty in some way, considering she actually left the chat. Perhaps Haruna had done something with her head? Izaya frowned, shaking his head. Kida seemed to be very excited about it...what on earth could it be?! The self-proclaimed God stared at the screen excitedly with gleaming eyes until the message was delivered. All the breath left his body as his smile fell off his face, a horrified look overtaking his features.

Bakyura: **Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya were seen eating together at Russia Sushi. Then...they kissed! 030** Kanra: **...That's impossible** Bakyura: **Most would think so but look at the pictures uploaded to the Dollars website! I'll send them now~**

Izaya's stomach sank as he clicked on the link Kida sent him, hand rubbing away the sweat that beaded at his forehead nervously. There they were, him and Shizuo. The blond very clearly initiating the kiss, eyes closed and face soft. On the other hand, Izaya stared at his clearly shocked eyes and his stiffened posture. Pictures were taken from all angles, some making it look like he himself was enjoying the kiss. Which was obviously not true. Who'd ever like kissing that monster? He realized he'd been staring at the pictures for more than ten minutes when notifications on his computer pulled him out of the past and back int reality.

Saika: **Kanra? Are you still there?** Bakyura: **Looks like she ran. Not very surprising** Taro: **Be nice, Bakyura!** Kanra: **I'm right here~! Kanra is always busy so she couldn't reply!** Bakyura: **Suuuuure** Taro: **So what do you think about this, Kanra?**

Izaya snorted. Like Kida, Taro was also someone who knew who Kanra actually was. He had given it away to Taro, or who's actual name was Ryuugamine Mikado. Like himself, Mikado's strength was information that he'd learned on the internet and how he used it. It was obvious that the boy was looking for a way to see into his true thoughts. Despite knowing this though, Izaya for once had no idea how to respond. The evidence of what had happened was right there for all to see so he couldn't deny it. If he responded too seriously then he would fail at being his internet persona Kanra, meaning he was somehow linked to the kiss which could give his true identity away to the other people in the chat who still didn't know him. Groaning under his breath, Izaya began to type out his response rather slowly.

Kanra: **Kanra doesn't think it's our business o/`w`/o**

Bakyura: **Funny how the nosiest person in this chat doesn't want to get more information on it**

Saika: **Stop fighting! I agree with Kanra, we should just leave it alone.**

Bakyura: **I just feel bad for Heiwajima for kissing Orihara. Who'd want to deal with that creep?**

Taro: **It was his decision, Orihara didn't seem to be expecting it**

Saika: **I bet Orihara manipulated Heiwajima into doing that. He seems like a lonely person after all**

Bakyura: **Obviously, since everyone wants him dead. Right, Kanra? ;)**

Taro: **Bakyura...**

Saika: **Where did Kanra go anyway?**

Bakyura: **Coward**

Taro: **Kanra?**

 _-Kanra has left the chatroom-_


	8. Chapter 8

Celty Sturluson had many friends.

That might be considered odd or even unbelievable due to the fact of her not having a head. However, the dullahan had grown close to many people during her time in Ikebukuro. She regularly talked to Sonohara Anri, a high school girl who also possessed supernatural powers as well as her friends Mikado and Kida. Not only that but Kyohei Kadota and his gang upheld conversations with Celty multiple times. Of course, the person she considered to be her best and closest friend happened to be the debt collector Heiwajima Shizuo.

They had met when Shinra brought him home after a particularly bad fight with Izaya. Celty was immediately transfixed by the blond's calm and quiet demeanor despite having been a furious and inconsolable rage just a few moments before. The two hit off right from the start and ever since then they usually told each other everything, from Celty worrying about her lost head to Shizuo complaining about a certain flea. They were very close, close enough to worry Shinra that Shizuo was after his beloved. They both reassured the doctor that there was nothing romantic about their relationship, which was and still is true. Shizuo and Celty simply shared one thing in common: they were both viewed as monsters. So the two outcasts found comfort in someone going through the same problems they were and always had each others backs, telling one another everything. There were no secrets between them.

That's why it had shocked the dullahan to see pictures flooding the Dollars website of her best friend who had never even shown interest in someone else being caught kissing his worst enemy, Orihara Izaya.

Celty had immediately exited the chatroom, too shaken up to even reply to the others messages. She wondered for a second if it had been the biggest gossip in the group, Kanra, who had told them this news. However, as Celty looked through the older chat logs she confirmed that Kanra had nothing to do with this. Which means that it had been public enough for ordinary people to find out what was going on between the two.

Wait, what was going on between Orihara Izaya and Shizuo?

As long as the dullahan could remember, the ex bartender had such strong feelings of hate for the informant that she had been taken aback. How could anyone hold such passionate hatred for a simple man? After meeting Izaya for herself though, Celty could understand why the cunning man greatly upset the loyal and always truthful Heiwajima Shizuo.

So how on earth did they go from mutual anger for one another to kissing in a certain restaurant?

Celty shook her helmet, letting out a silent sigh as she raced to Shizuo's house on Shooter. She recalled how she'd warned Shizuo that she would be coming over only to receive no reply. It had been a day since the pictures were uploaded onto the website, so perhaps he was hanging out with Izaya?

No. That wasn't possible, the two would never simply be able to turn over their enemy relationship that had lasted over a decade in mere hours. The dullahan tapped her motorcycle handle, deep in thought.

Orihara Izaya was a despicable man who found joy in destroying peoples entire lives, laughing at their faces as he did so. She never knew how Shinra could deal with the insane informant's speeches about how much he loved people, choosing instead to leave Izaya to his own devices for the most part. Celty sympathized with how Shizuo could never hold back, the blond had anger issues-which was known by everyone-and Izaya used that fact to the fullest. All Heiwajima Shizuo wanted was peace and as long as Orihara Izaya was around, that was impossible.

This was known by every resident in Ikebukuro. It was clear information that everyone possessed, much like how they all knew never to mess with the two strongest men in the city. So _how?_ How could Shizuo suddenly kiss Izaya? He was obviously the one who initiated it considering Izaya's own confused expression.

It left Celty at a loss.

She vaguely recalled Izaya talking about how unpredictable Shizuo was, giving voice to how that was one of the reasons he hated the debt collector. The dullahan had dismissed it, marking it off as the informant trying to screw around with her 'head'. Now though, Celty wasn't entirely sure that Izaya was just lying as usual. After all, who would expect the monster of Ikebukuro to even stay in the same room with the puppeteer of the city?

The dullahan's phone buzzed, signaling she had a message.

She pulled over, not wanting to give a certain police man another reason to chase her. Especially not when she was already sick with worry over Shizuo possibly being manipulated in some way.

Shizuo: **The door's unlocked.**

Celty nodded to herself, not bothering to reply as she was already almost to his house. She jumped on her motorcycle again and sped off to Shizuo's house, thoughts still racing.


	9. Chapter 9

The dark doorway loomed in front of a nervous guest. Her hand was stopped mid-knock as she debated on just leaving. This was none of her business after all...right? Should she really be getting involved? Passerby's began to stare at the odd clad in black figure frozen in front of a small apartment with a yellow-eared helmet resting on her head.

The nosy humans were pulled out of their trance-like state as the unknown shadow shook her helmet in a flustered state, making the onlookers relax and lose their tenseness. Time started to move again as she finally tapped a gloved hand lightly on the wooden door, leaving her watchers to scramble off for their own daily duties.

After what seemed like ages to the uneasy woman, the door finally opened and a man wearing a bartender suit shot her a sheepish smile.

"...Hey Celty." The blond debt collector mumbled, fully opening his door so that his guest that invited herself over could enter.

Celty dipped her helmet politely and walked inside, allowing Shizuo to lead her into the living room. Two glasses of lemonade were set out on coasters, and obvious attempt at being nice on the blond's part.

 **[Thanks!]** Celty typed enthusiastically, knowing the bodyguard most likely forgot about Celty being unable to drink once again. It wasn't like the dullahan minded, however. In fact, she loved how Shizuo only saw her as another human and never cared or even brought up her missing head. It wasn't as obvious as Shinra's disinterest with what made Celty different from other humans but it still put her at ease. Neither man cared about how she didn't have a head, both enjoying her company simply because of her personality. Shizuo had actually said repeatedly that Celty was much more human than him (which she still denies to this very day).

"I thought you were supposed to be on a date with Shinra today so I was pretty surprised when you asked to come over." The blond commented as he made himself comfortable on his old and small couch. He took a sip out of his most likely extremely over-sweetened drink while tipping his head in question as he waited for the dullahan to reply.

Celty couldn't help but inwardly groan at that, the doctor's pained smile rushing back into her memories. She knew she'd have to make it up to her lover for ditching him on their date but as for now the situation with Shizuo was much more important. Going on a picnic with Shinra and listening to the man ramble would unfortunately have to wait.

 **[I read something interesting over on the Dollars website]** Celty typed out hesitantly, effectively changing the conversation's course to what she had come over to talk about in the first place. She couldn't help but notice how Shizuo's posture immediately stiffened, soft mocha eyes hardening slightly behind blue tinted sunglasses.

"I hate that site, it's full of bullshit and fake people." Shizuo muttered, grabbing a cigarette out of his packet and immediately lighting it before taking a long inhale.

Celty waved her hands immediately, trying to calm down her obviously perturbed friend. She knew him throwing a huge rage would most surely not answer her question and the cleanup would be long as usual. **[Don't worry, no one is trying to start anything. At least, I don't think]** The dullahan tried to reassure the ex-bartender.

"Just tell me what happened, Celty." Shizuo sighed, leaning back on his couch as he watched her with unblinking eyes that screamed danger.

 **[Well...there were a lot of pictures of you and Izaya kissing at Russia Sushi]** Celty typed out hesitantly, having an internal conflict on whether or not she should show him what she had written. In the end she showed it to the debt collector and waited for him to either A.) destroy the entire city that was Ikebukuro or B.) Leave for Shinjuku to fight a certain informant.

The response Celty got, however, was something not even her wildest dreams could come up with. Shizuo immediately relaxed and smiled at the dullahan, putting out his cigarette. The bodyguard took off his sunglasses and rubbed his eyes before glancing over at Celty with a happy little grin that made her heart sink.

 **[Wait...it's true?! Shizuo, you seriously kissed Izaya?! Did he blackmail you? Did he threaten Kasuka? Are you possessed?]** Celty shoved her phone in his face, blasting him with questions as she panicked, debating on when she should text Shinra to say the world was ending and that Shizuo had been replaced by some alien.

"Calm down, I'm okay." Shizuo sighed. He started to tell the dullahan about how Izaya had come up to him a couple days earlier and had confessed his love for him. The bartender made sure to include Izaya's exact words so that Celty would know that Izaya wasn't lying. Shizuo followed up with their 'date' at Russia Sushi and how he'd wanted to test if being together with the informant was truly plausible. It was only then did the bartender realize that Izaya was actually a complete and total tsundere, running out of the store. After that Shizuo had simply gone home.

Celty stared at the blond, running over what he had told her. It all seemed extremely out of character for Izaya who had always said how much he hated the "monster".

However...what Shizuo told her exactly what Izaya said made her positive that Izaya loved him!

 **[I can't believe Izaya is actually in love with you!]** Celty practically squealed, buzzing with excitement. She watched as Shizuo blushed at her words and scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Me neither but I guess he wants it to be a secret. He doesn't seem to have told anyone else so I probably shouldn't have kissed him. Still, I need to see him again." Shizuo couldn't help but smile at the cute tantrum his enemy had thrown at the restaurant.

 **[Wait, so you like him back?]**

"Well, I'm willing to give it a try. He's the only one who has never been afraid of me so I think this could work out. Don't you?" Shizuo asked the dullahan somewhat hopefully.

 **[I think it's worth a try. I wish you luck, Shizuo!]** Celty typed encouragingly.

* * *

Late that night Celty waved goodbye as she drove back home. She would've smiled to herself if she could as she recalled the plan Shizuo and her had come up with to help him obtain the stubborn tsundere.

Elsewhere, a certain God sneezed.


	10. Chapter 10

_He was running down an empty alley, fear coursing through his tiny body. Or was it excitement? Another scream of pure fury rang out behind the fleeing raven. He didn't have to look back. If he did it would only confirm what he already was aware of. The blond brute was chasing after him with astounding speed, for once keeping up with the slippery snake. He grabbed hold of an emergency ladder that was bolted to a building wall, pushing up to escape the monster. A hand grabbed hold of the informant's wrist, tugging with unreal strength and bringing him back to the ground. Before the shocked raven could process a single thought his rival slammed him against the dirty alley wall, right beside the escape ladder._

 _Staring up at his triumphant opponent, he waited for the end. Instead he felt soft lips press against his own in an instant. The stunned simply began to smile and opened his own mouth, allowing the blond entry. He let out a soft moan as the bodyguard pulled on his lip playfully and feeling hands snake down to the belt holding his pants. Lust seeped out of every pore in the smaller man's body as he waited impatiently._

 _"Shizu-chan..."_

Izaya shot out from under his covers, chest heaving as he took in huge gulps of air. Sweat dropped down his forehead and he looked down in dismay to see his shirt soaked from perspiration.

"What...the hell was that?" He shakily glanced over at his clock, seeing it was only 3:46 a.m. The utterly horrified brunet immediately turned on his lap and tried to process the absurd dream nightmare he had just been forced to undergo. The informant sighed and got out of bed, already knowing that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep after that freak show. He made his way into his bathroom, turning on the shower and setting it to cold in hopes of waking himself up even if by just a little bit.

The fear-struck raven recalled the images of his dream and hopped into the shower, shaking his head in a desperate attempt to rid himself of every and all memories of it. It was only then did Izaya realize he had a certain problem in his area down below.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

Izaya was not sexually active and he had never experienced a wet dream before. While the informant tried to come up with a possible explanation for all of this, the only reason he could think of was Shizuo kissing him at Russia Sushi.

However, that made no sense!

Many considered the small raven to be a playboy and more than one had gone up to him asking if they could "hook up". Nothing disgusted Izaya more and he prided himself in remaining pure to this very day.

Yes, Izaya was a 25 year old virgin. Who would've thought Kishitani Shinra would be with someone before the very handsome informant?

Well, it could be taken into account that his lover was a headless mythical creature who almost everyone feared.

Izaya sighed and got out of the shower after cleaning himself up, his brain a fuddled mushy mess. This wasn't how it was supposed to be! He couldn't fall to petty human problems such as these.

He was above this!

For crying out loud, he was _Orihara Izaya!_

Izaya was the closest out of everyone to going to Valhalla. He was a God! So how on earth could the stupid, unpredictable, annoying, and troublesome Heiwajima Shizuo reduce him to this pathetic state?!

The very perturbed informant made his way downstairs and over to his computer, sitting down in his chair. Looking through the chat rooms, Izaya noticed only Masaomi Kida was on. With a heavy sigh, Izaya entered the private chat with him in hopes of messing with the young blond to lift up his spirits.

 _-Private Mode-_ Kanra: **Why Kida, how rebellious being up this late at night!** Bakyura: **Leave me alone, perv.** Kanra: **How rude! As if you know what I do in my free time~** Bakyura: **I know you force good guys to kiss you in public. Isn't that reason enough?** Kanra: **You have no proof of that. For your information, Shizu-chan kissed me. Not the other way around.** Bakyura: **I'm supposed to believe that? You're pathetic, Izaya-san. See, I believe you were so desperate for someone to love you that you tricked him. Makes sense, doesn't it?** Kanra: **I don't need something as human as love. My love for humans is enough as it transcends every other emotion!** Bakyura: **So you're saying you haven't ever been lonely?** Kanra: **That's correct~! :D** Bakyura: **Then do tell, why are you speaking with me right now?** Kanra: **...** Bakyura: **I hate your guts and want you dead. I'm not the only one either. It makes sense that you're desperate enough to try and converse with a teenager.** Kanra: **A teenager who happens to be a gang leader. You're the one who got involved with me, Kida. Don't be so sore over the past!** Bakyura: **Are you not the one saying you control all the strings like a puppeteer? You're lonely, Izaya-san. You have no one.** Kanra: **I don't need anyone!** Bakyura: **Then stop messing with Shizuo-san and leave the city alone. Stop using people as playthings just because you're all alone in this world. Grow up.** Kanra: **Brat.** _-Kanra has left the conversation-_

Izaya hissed in annoyance and shut his computer down immediately. How dare he?! Izaya was a God! No one could talk to him like that. Not to mention how everything Kida said was completely wrong. The tiny raven rubbed his eyes. Were his allergies starting up? No, it wasn't spring or fall. His red orbs watered and Izaya concluded it to be the dust.

Of course it was.

Izaya had no one, nor did he need someone.


	11. Chapter 11

Izaya trudged through the busy streets of Ikebukuro, normally bright crimson eyes now a dull red. His coat looked unusually unkempt and even his pitch black hair seemed disheveled. People stared at the informant, confused to see his face twisted into a frown instead of the smirk he always wore. Noticing all the eyes on him, Izaya flipped up his hood in agitation, wishing for once that the attention wasn't focused on him.

"Damn Shiki...making me go out to Ikebukuro for a stupid job. Damn that stupid _stupid_ monster to hell for making me like this in the first place!" Izaya growled to himself, flipping out his phone to look over Shiki's instructions for him. It was simple, just capture a runaway drug dealer who owed the Awakusu-Kai money and deliver him to them. Normally he'd be annoyed that he didn't get better work from his boss.

However, for the past week he'd been waking up from the same recurring dream and had at most gotten two hours of sleep a night. That dumb nightmare where a certain protozoan captured him and they...Izaya stopped his train of though right there.

They were just dreams after all. It wasn't like they would every actually happen.

Obviously.

Then why were they always located somewhere in the back of the informant's mind, constantly reminding him of dream-Shizuo's touch?

No matter, no matter.

Izaya continued onward, paying more attention to his phone than he did to where he was walking. It wasn't like this was the first time he had been distracted by his device, once getting stabbed for paying more attention to the caller rather than his surroundings.

That definitely wasn't a good birthday.

That's why he just barely stopped himself from slamming into a black motorcycle.

Eyes lifting up hesitantly, Izaya flashed a smirk.

"Why hello there, Courier-san." He grinned, shoving his phone back into his coat pocket.

Celty tilted her helmet, her confusion obvious.

 **[You look awful.]** She typed out slowly before showing the informant who in turn, burst out laughing.

"Now, that's not a very nice way to greet someone!" Izaya leaned back against a building wall, finding it much easier to keep focus on the black rider with the extra support. Even now he was still woozy from another terrible night of basically no sleep whatsoever.

 **[It's true. Are you feeling alright?]** Celty asked. Normally she wouldn't care, but seeing as her best friend had a crush on this man she didn't want him in bad health.

Even if he was an asshole.

"Oh, I'm perfectly okay~! I just happen to be here for a job, don't worry I have no intention on causing trouble today. I'll be on my merry way home soon enough." The informant waved her off, placing an easy smile on his face. A small breeze of wind made him shudder and zip up his coat.

When had summer become so chilly?

Whatever, the sooner he got this over with the sooner he could go home and hopefully catch a few winks of sleep.

Ha, like that would happen. Izaya would rather not risk having that crazy dream again. He could go a little while longer without resting. If only his eyes would stop trying to close on their own.

 **[You don't seem like it. Do you want me to bring you to Shinra's?]** The dullahan tried again, 'seeing' the fatigue clinging to the small raven and knowing he was just being stubborn.

"I _said_ I'm fine. Just leave me alone, would you?" Izaya snapped, his patience wearing thin as time pressed on. He didn't know how long he could keep this up when the air started to become colder and black spots started to dance through his line of sight. Before Celty could reply Izaya turned away, intending on going to the job location and finishing it up quickly. Immediately a black wave washed over his eyes and he stumbled slightly.

"Shit..." He muttered, wondering what the hell he did to deserve this when he crashed onto the ground, falling unconscious.

* * *

It was warm.

Warmer than he remembered being in his whole life.

Izaya kept his eyes closed despite being pulled into full wakefulness, wanting to stay close to the heat enveloping him whole. Sighing in content, the informant snuggled in closer, burying his face into the warmth.

It was a different smell from the ones his bed covers carried, but not an unpleasant one.

Izaya smiled softly as he realized it was a smoky and musky, two things he would normally despise. However, he found himself enjoying this one immensely and even found himself feeling safe and protected.

The arms wrapped around him held him tighter, but not enough to hurt him-

Wait. _Arms?!_

Izaya's eyes flew open as he jolted in shock. His head was snuggled in close to a chest while his hands clutched a black vest with a white undershirt tightly.

Oh no.

The informant hesitantly looked up, still praying that this was a dream. It _had_ to be.

Warm brown eyes gazed back down at him as Izaya felt a hand stroke his hair gently.

"I'm glad you're awake. I was really worried when Celty brought you over here." Shizuo hugged the tiny raven protectively.

No. No no no. Wrong. Very wrong. Nope!

"Um, Shizu-chan can you let me go. Now please." Izaya kept his voice as steady as he could, though it was still noticeably shaking.

With fury.

How the hell did he get here?! The last thing he remembered was talking to the courier and then...

The informant groaned, face palming as he recalled passing out right in front of her as well as the "lovely" people of Ikebukuro.

Why was he brought here then?

This clearly wasn't Shinra's house, it was much smaller and messier. Which meant Celty brought him to Shizuo.

That bitch.

Izaya glared up at the protozoan as he realized he had still not been released from his hold.

"I said let go!"

"No can do, sorry. You're pretty sick, Izaya. Shinra said you needed to stay in bed and take it easy for a week or so. You've been unconscious for almost half a day now." Shizuo sighed.

Izaya blinked. So Shinra _had_ looked him over. Then why the hell was he still at Shizuo's house?!

Seeing the smaller man's confusion, Shizuo chuckled.

"I lived closer to where you and Celty were so she brought you over here instead. Then she called Shinra and he came to make sure nothing was too serious. He already had a patient staying at his house so once Celty told him we were getting along now he asked if you could stay here. Obviously I said yes and I've just been keeping you warm ever since they left." The blond explained, rather proud of himself for being trusted with the duty of taking care of the sick and bedridden informant.

Izaya, however, was not feeling so sentimental.

"Since when are we getting along?!" He shrieked, the yelp cut off by an outburst of coughs. Shizuo quickly patted his back, helping him breath more easily. The ex bartender sighed, wondering if Izaya was so out of it that he'd forgotten.

"You know, when you confessed to me in the alley and I decided to give you a chance." He said slowly, trying to remind him.

Izaya felt the need to slam his head into a brick wall. Or better yet, Shizuo's. Provided he doesn't break the damn wall.

"Shizu-chan, I've always known you had a few screws lose but this really takes the cake. I'm not in love-"

The raven froze, losing his train of though as the bodyguard pressed his forehead against his own. W-What was he doing...?

"Dammit, you're still hot as hell. I'll go get you some more medicine. Stay put." Shizuo instructed before getting up. He made sure Izaya was wrapped inside blankets so he wouldn't get cold before leaving.

Izaya stared after him with wide eyes, too shocked to move.

He wouldn't actually have to spend a week with the blond...right?


	12. Chapter 12

It had been a day and Izaya was losing his mind.

No phone, no computer, no _nothing._

How was he supposed to keep himself entertained when he couldn't interact with his lovely humans?!

All the protozoan had was a small television which only played VCR tapes, having no cable.

Izaya recalled seeing him with a flip phone a few times but other than that there was nothing in his house.

Was it even possible to live like this?!

The informant groaned and flopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling in annoyance.

He recalled how the bodyguard had told him to rest, but how could he?

Izaya was so bored!

With his phone taken away (that bastard Shinra said he needed to stop meddling with others for a week) the small man was at a complete loss on what he could do.

Could he really deal with this for six more days? It didn't seem possible.

The sound of the front door opening made Izaya shoot back up into a sitting position.

"Izaya, I'm home!" A low and gravelly voice called out from behind the bedroom door.

Grinning happily, Izaya waited for the blond to enter his bedroom that the informant was currently staying in. Normally he absolutely hated Shizuo being anywhere near him but he was desperate for some kind of fun.

Besides, Izaya still needed to inform the brute that he was actually not in love with him (who could mistake absolute hatred for love?!) so their relationship could get back on track.

The door opened, letting in Shizuo who was holding a plastic bag. The ex bartender frowned as he saw Izaya was sitting up.

"Lay down, your sick. Where's the rag that's supposed to be on your forehead?" He immediately questioned.

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes and laid down, not in the mood to fight for once.

"I put it back in the sink. I'm feeling better so can I-"

"For the last time, no you cannot go home. You're staying with me for the week." Shizuo sighed as he cut off the flea.

Almost every hour Izaya had tried to fool him into thinking he was completely fine. Last night at 11:00 p.m the bodyguard had actually believed him only for the crimson-eyed man to collapse as soon as he exited his apartment. Ever since then Shizuo made sure Izaya stayed safely tucked in bed. Walking into the bathroom, he quickly took the rag and drenched it in cold water before wringing it out. Entering the bedroom again, he gently touched his forehead to his sick patient's.

"Hmm you're still really warm." He muttered to himself and set the rag down on Izaya's forehead, relieved to see that he wasn't arguing.

Izaya simply stared up at his arch enemy who looked down at him with soft eyes. He didn't think it possible for anyone in the whole world -scratch that, _universe_ \- could look at him like that, least of all Heiwajima Shizuo. The informant never imagined a gaze so gentle could be aimed at him. His parents showing no interest in their children and leaving at them at a very young age, Izaya hadn't ever experienced something like this. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit it was a very nice feeling.

"Did you take your medicine?" The blond called out as he rummaged through his cupboard and pulled out the pills Shinra had prescribed Izaya, secretly already knowing the flea hadn't taken anything. He walked back to the bedroom and handed the sick louse a glass of water and his medicine.

Izaya groaned as he glared at his stupid pills, debating on whether or not he should slap them out of the bastard's hand. However, Shizuo still had that soft look in his honey brown eyes. Reluctantly taking his medicine, Izaya gulped it down with water. Luckily the side effects weren't too drastic, only making him feel sleepy which wasn't all that bad.

After all, what else was he supposed to do with absolutely no way to communicate with the outside world?

He watched as Shizuo set the water down on the night table beside the bed before returning Izaya's pills to the cupboard. The blond was just about to start up dinner when Izaya bit his lip.

This would be a good time to clear up that misunderstanding, wouldn't it?

"Shizu-chan?" Izaya called out before cringing at how soft his voice sounded. What the hell was wrong with him?

Shizuo entered the room again and looked at his guest questioningly.

Taking a deep breath, the informant gestured towards the bed, signaling Shizuo should sit down. The bodyguard did just that.

"Look, about that day in the alley..." He started quietly.

"Oh, are you talking about your confession?" Shizuo smiled brightly at him.

Izaya cringed at just how happy he looked.

"Yeah, about that-"

"I was really happy when you told me that." The blond murmured, blushing ever so slightly as he looked down at his hands.

Izaya stopped, not saying anything as Shizuo continued.

"No one...no one really understands me, you know? They're all scared of me. I can't name a lot who actually see me for me and those people only figured it out after getting close to me. You...you've never been afraid of me. Despite hating you for a long time I always had to give you credit there." Shizuo sighed softly.

"To be honest I never thought love was possible for me. I can't control my anger after all."

The blond lifted his head and stared straight into Izaya's eyes, face completely sincere.

"But with you...it's possible. You can defend yourself from me and frankly, I think we're a good fit. Not many people can love either of us and we're outcasts from the rest. Of course, I thought you didn't care about relationships before you confessed." Shizuo explained, brown eyes full of trust.

"I'm giving you a chance because I feel that you haven't really shown me your true self. I feel that we could find love in this world if we look to each other."

Just like that, all the breath left the small informant's body as he stared up at Shizuo with wide eyes. The bodyguard slowly stood up and walked over to him, such a short distance seeming like miles. Izaya knew what was about to happen but couldn't bring himself to tell him off. Watching as Shizuo leaned in close, Izaya looked into his eyes as lips pressed against his own.

"Get some sleep, Izaya." Shizuo whispered before making his way out of the room.

Izaya hesitantly touched his lips, mind blank.

He needed to yell after the brute.

Had to laugh at how stupid he was for misunderstanding.

Break his heart.

For once though, Izaya couldn't bring himself to do it.

Not when he still remembered those soft eyes watching over him protectively and lips telling him to trust, just like Shizuo was trusting him.

Izaya couldn't hurt him.


	13. Chapter 13

"I said I want my phone, Shizu-chan."

"I just don't think you need it right now."

"It's been a week since I came here and I can go home now. Give me it."

"I don't see why you want it so badly..."

"Give me my damn phone!" Izaya shouted angrily, red eyes flaring up with intense anger.

They were fighting at the front of Shizuo's house over the informant's phone. Izaya was finally well again after an entire week of rest with no way to communicate with the outside world. Now that he was finally 'free' again, he wanted his electronic device that Shinra had forbidden him to use during his small vacation. He needed it back for work after all.

Now if only the stupid brute would give it to him.

For some reason Shizuo was extremely reluctant to return it to him, trying to hide it at first only for Izaya to find it immediately. Protozoans are not very good at sneaking around apparently.

Shocker.

Now the faux blond was simply trying to persuade him not to look at it which was completely absurd considering how many messages Izaya must have by now from Shiki and clients of his.

What could he say? He was a busy guy.

Shizuo groaned and pinched his nose, taking in deep breaths to calm himself. It was something Izaya had noticed during his time with the bodyguard. The taller man truly did try his hardest not to get angry and so far he was very successful, not having thrown anything at the very annoying raven during his whole stay at his house.

Well, kudos to him.

"Izaya please..."

"What the hell is your problem? Just give me my phone." Izaya held out his hand as he looked up at Shizuo with slitted crimson eyes that dared him to anger him more.

Shizuo bit his lip and surrendered, hesitantly placing it in the smaller man's pale palm.

Izaya sighed in relief and immediately leaned against the wall as he scrolled through his phone, expecting there to be something wrong with it. Maybe Shizuo's inhuman strength had crushed it slightly or he dropped it.

Nope, everything was perfectly in order.

The informant quickly texted back an infuriated Shiki as well as some of his desperate clients that were begging him to help them after a week of complete silence.

He noticed the blond watching him through his peripheral vision but said nothing, instead clicking on the Dollars website to scan over any big new that happened while he was away.

 _-Feed-_ Chouko: **Did you hear about Orihara Izaya passing out?** Hayato: **Yeah, everyone knows about it. Didn't the Black Rider carry him off?** Chouko: **There's no way that happened.** Hotaru: **Actually, I saw it happen. He just collapsed and then the Black Rider drove off with him.** Hayato: **Scary!** Chouko: **Think he's dead?** Hotaru: **I doubt it, no one can kill that fucking cockroach.** Hayato: **Yeah, he'll probably crawl back out sometime.** Chouko: **Honestly, why hasn't anyone killed him yet? He's a waste of space who only causes pain to others.** Hotaru: **He's probably paying Heiwajima Shizuo to protect him by pretending to be his lover. It makes sense.** Hayato: **Seems like something he would do. Everything about him is fake after all.** Hotaru: **Let's just hope he dies at some point.** Chouko: **'Course he will. Someone will get sick of him and stop his shenanigans eventually.** Hayato: **Or he'll kill himself.** Hotaru: **It's not like he has a reason to live. No one truly likes him.** _-End of Feed-_

Izaya finished reading off the messages and tucked his phone away in his pocket. Stretching slightly, he decided he would have to get back in shape from his entire week off. Ugh, he definitely wasn't looking forward to that-

"Did you look at the Dollars website?" Shizuo's voice broke into his thoughts.

Looking up at the blond, Izaya saw that his mocha eyes were full of worry and his fists were clenched at his sides.

What was his problem?

"Yeah, I did. I'm going to go home now, thanks again. See you-"

The informant's eyes widened with surprise as he was pulled into Shizuo's warm embrace. Feeling his face pressed into the man's chest, Izaya couldn't look up to see his expression. A gentle hand stroked through his black hair protectively and he was held as close as possible.

...What was happening?

The ex bartender's face was buried in his shoulder and Izaya began to feel wetness spread across it.

"Shizu-chan, are you...crying?" He asked softly, red orbs open with complete disbelief.

There was no way this indestructible being who was stronger than 100 people combined was actually crying.

However, a soft sob proved him wrong yet again.

"How can p-people be so cruel to you without even trying to get to know you? How can you be so calm about it?!" Shizuo asked as he hugged the small man tightly.

Izaya frowned in confusion.

"It's not a big deal, Shizu-chan." He shrugged.

After dealing with hate aimed towards him his entire life, it was easy to shield himself from being hurt by mere words.

"What the hell are you saying?! Those people were hoping you'd die!" Shizuo shouted, pulling back so that he was only holding Izaya's shoulders. Gazing into the raven's eyes, all the blond saw was complete calm.

There was no anger.

There was no sadness.

Izaya was completely indifferent to it.

"Shizu-chan, you were just saying that a few weeks ago. I'm used to it." He sighed, not understanding why Shizuo was so upset.

Shizuo stopped, eyes going wide as he realized how easily he had told a human being to kill himself for years.

It didn't matter who they were.

It didn't matter what they did.

Wishing death upon someone when you didn't know their story was not okay.

"I need to go home and work now, Shizu-chan." Izaya dipped his head slightly to the bodyguard in thanks for taking care of him before exiting the house and shutting the door behind him.

Shizuo stared at the closed door, still horrified by how nonchalant the informant was about the whole situation.

It wasn't okay for Izaya to be so used to hate and unused to love.

Sitting down on his couch, Shizuo bit his lip.

He had to change that.


	14. Chapter 14

_"How can you be so calm about this?!"_

 _"Those people were hoping you would die!"_

 _"Izaya...thank you for loving me."_

Izaya sighed as he continued walking through the streets of Ikebukuro, on his way home. His time spent with Heiwajima Shizuo while he was sick kept replaying in his head, not leaving him alone no matter what he did.

"Why on earth was he crying?" The informant muttered to himself, staring at the ground thoughtfully as his mind whirled with questions.

Shizuo was always so unpredictable.

Ever since Izaya could remember, no one had cried over him.

Including himself.

Now suddenly the man who was supposed to be his arch enemy was sobbing over stupid texts on the internet.

They honestly weren't even that bad, the raven had heard much worse words aimed towards him on a regular basis.

He was positive Shizuo had heard things said about him as well.

So why now?

Right...because the blond believed he was in love with him.

Izaya felt his cheeks turn slightly pink and he smiled as he recalled the bodyguard saying he would give him a chance.

That would be nice-

"Shut up!" The observer snarled to himself, paying no attention to the people staring at him.

What the hell was he thinking?!

It wouldn't be fun, it'd be horrible.

Despicable.

God awful.

 _Rotten._

Izaya was above such petty emotions and he refused to fall to them.

He'd seen what love could do to people firsthand.

Running a hand through his hair, the small man couldn't help but remember the feel of Shizuo stroking through it.

Stop it!

He shook his head furiously, trying to think about something else.

Besides, Shizuo was only giving him a chance because he believed Izaya could feel.

Which was obviously not true.

No, he knew very well what a disgusting person he was.

The informant understood that the reason he had no friends was simply due to his actions.

Did he care?

Nope!

All Izaya cared about was his beloved humans!

Right.

That's _all that mattered._

But...was it wrong to think about a different life where he could perhaps be with the debt collector?

Izaya sighed.

Yes, it was. That stupid dream would never happen.

He couldn't let himself sink to the level of a human.

Humans felt pain, heartbreak, and betrayal.

Izaya never wanted to feel those emotions again.

A car suddenly pulled up beside the man who was lost in his own thoughts.

"Orihara-san. Shiki no Dana has requested I escort you to his office. He has something to discuss with you." The window slid down to reveal Akabayashi.

Izaya nodded and climbed into the vehicle, shoving away Shizuo for the time being.

Eyes dull, the informant reminded himself never to wander so far from reality again.

 _Shizu-chan...why do you care, anyway?_


	15. Chapter 15

It had been 11 days since Izaya had spoken with Shizuo.

11 days since the blond had asked him why he didn't care what people said about him, no matter how cruel.

11 days since Shizuo had confirmed that he felt something for Izaya.

...

And 11 days since Izaya felt something himself inside his cold heart.

However, the informant's icy walls were slowly being warmed by a certain monster who was telling him to trust.

Telling him that he wasn't evil.

Telling him that he isn't alone.

Telling him...that he could find love.

Izaya shook his head furiously, a dry laugh devoid of any humor escaping his lips.

Yeah right!

Love?

He didn't need it!

All he needed was his pure infatuation with all of his beloved human beings!

Sighing, the small man leaned back in his office chair and turned away from his blaring monitor.

Izaya glanced over at his clock, reading it was 2:13 a.m.

As much as he wanted to sleep he had more work to do.

Frowning, the trusted Awakusu-Kai informant for once couldn't be bothered to dig around for more information.

What was wrong with him these days?

Pulling himself up, Izaya walked over to his large window which stood from the ceiling all the way to the floor.

Although being late at night, Shinjuku was still buzzing with traffic and shining commercials playing on screens.

It was truly a busy and lovely city, perfect for everything Izaya enjoyed.

Except...it didn't have his favorite humans living in it.

No, only Ikebukuro held the title of being a perfect city with no flaws whatsoever.

Well, it would be nice if Shizuo didn't live there.

Izaya groaned out loud and flopped back into his chair.

"Why must the stupid protozoan always invade my thoughts?" He muttered to himself, trying to find a comfortable position.

The raven glanced back at his monitor that still had way too many tabs open.

He clicked on the Dollars chatroom eagerly, hoping to take his mind off of the infamous blond.

 _-Kanra has joined the chatroom-_

Kanra: **Huh, no one is here?**

Kanra: **I suppose it is a Saturday night, everyone is busy busy~!**

Kanra: **Kanra is overloaded with work so she can't do anything :(**

Kanra: **Taro, you're not even on...?**

Kanra: **No big deal~! Kanra needs her beauty sleep so it's best if nobody is here anyway!**

Kanra: **Of course, Kanra is always around**

Kanra: **...**

Kanra: **Not much for me to do besides this. It's not like I have actual friends.**

Kanra: **Yeah...I'm definitely going to wipe clean this chat.**

Kanra: **No need for anyone to see this pathetic display**

Kanra: **Bye**

 _-Kanra has left the chatroom-_

Izaya cleared the chat immediately, disgust for himself bubbling up inside.

He wasn't so weak as to hope someone would talk to him anyways.

Not like any of them was his friend. They all hated his internet persona Kanra as well.

The informant felt a tug at his heart and wondered if the room had suddenly gotten colder.

Shrugging it off, he walked into his kitchen.

Namie would be here sometimes, making his food and trying to poison it.

Izaya would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy seeing his secretary use various poisons only to fail in the end.

Still, he wasn't in there to think about something that trivial.

Going into his fridge, Izaya pulled out a large bottle of wine.

It was a gift from one of his clients from some time ago. He hadn't drank any for not liking alcohol and trying to steer clear of it.

Well, he may as well take a sip.

No harm in that

* * *

Shizuo walked through Shinjuku and smiled as he saw the apartment complex Izaya lived in.

"Thanks, Shinra."

The bodyguard chuckled to himself for it had been his friend who suggested he visited his crush.

It had just been too freaking long since he'd seen the raven and Shizuo was getting antsy.

Going up the elevator, he wondered what he'd tell Izaya.

That he missed him?

That he wanted to hang out?

For God's sake, it was nearly 4:00 a.m!

Shizuo shrugged.

 _I'll just tell him the truth._

He finally found his ex enemy's -in his opinion- door to his apartment which was on the top floor.

Of course he had the most expensive loft in Shinjuku.

Rolling his eyes, Shizuo simply smiled easily and knocked on the door.

It opened a few minutes later and the ex bartender's grin immediately fell off.

There stood Izaya, who was holding an empty bottle of wine.

The usually pale man's face was flushed a deep red and his eyes were glazed.

"Whhaaat the hell do youuuuu waaant?" Izaya slurred out, leaning against his open door for support.

Shizuo's eyes widened.

"Shit, Izaya, why are you drunk?" He asked, immediately walking inside and helping the raven over to a couch.

Izaya simply glared up at him.

"You." He replied simply.


	16. Chapter 16

Shizuo always thought of himself as an uncontrollable beast.

He had an awful temper and got pissed off at small things.

There were many times when he believed he truly was a monster.

However, his friends constant reassurances led him to grow self respect.

So many people cared for him despite his abnormal strength.

He had been close to injuring the people he loved most, especially his younger brother Kasuka.

Yet somehow, everyone stuck with him.

Shizuo wasn't alone in this world, he was surrounded by people he called friends.

Orihara Izaya was someone Shizuo always thought was in control.

The raven haired man always seemed to know what he was doing in life.

From high school Izaya talked about becoming an informant while Shizuo struggled to find a job he would like.

During their fights a confident smirk never left his old enemy's face.

Izaya never got caught, having an escape route no matter where they were.

Every word the informant spoke was deliberate and spoken with absolute certainty.

Yes, Shizuo had been sure nothing could shake Orihara Izaya.

That's why the ex bartender could only stare in shock as the man he'd grown to like took another swig out of a wine glass.

Nothing came out, Izaya having already drunk it all before Shizuo arrived.

Grumbling, the shorter male stared at his glass as if something would magically appear in it.

Shizuo had never seen Izaya drunk.

Shizuo had never witnessed those sharp red eyes glazed instead.

Shizuo had never experienced anything else besides Izaya's confident and well adjusted aura.

Sighing, the blond walked over to the dark haired man and grabbed the empty glass, putting it down in the sink.

He couldn't help but wince as he heard Izaya slur at him to give it back.

"There's nothing in there, dummy. Why the hell were you drinking?" Shizuo helped Izaya back onto the couch as he had slid off.

Izaya stared at Shizuo with confused eyes and rubbed them blearily.

"I saaaid it was becaaauuuse of you. Stuuupid protozoan doesn't even knoooow what he did." The informant replied drunkenly.

Shizuo frowned, extremely confused now.

What had he done?

Izaya wasn't still mad at him for trying to hide his phone, was he?

Seeing the bodyguard's perplexed expression, Izaya laughed coldly.

"Youu just wooon't leave me alooone! No maaatter what I do." He grumbled.

Shizuo laid Izaya down on the couch, trying to make him more comfortable.

"I told you that I wanted to try out dating you. Don't tell me you're so drunk you forgot?" He teased.

His playfulness quickly disappeared though as he saw Izaya shake his head.

"I don't waaant to date you!" Izaya muttered, glancing up at Shizuo.

The ex bartender immediately stiffened.

"But you said-"

"I SAID that I waaaanted us to stooop fighting! I gooot sick of it. Then you thought I liked youuu." Izaya hissed.

Everything seemed to stop, Shizuo's whole world going cold.

"B-But we went on dates and got closer! You even stayed at my house!"

Izaya rolled his eyes, drunk out of his mind.

"Diiiid I have a choiiice in staying at your houuuuse? No. I onlyyy went to Russia Sushi with youuu because I thought it'd be interesting!"

Shizuo stared at Izaya, finding it hard to breathe.

"You...don't love me?" He whispered.

Izaya looked up at Shizuo, eyes laced with confusion.

"Noooo. I only like humans!" He slurred out.

...

"Heeeey, where are youuu going?"

The only response Izaya got was the door shutting quietly as Shizuo exited his apartment.


	17. Chapter 17

It had been two weeks.

Two weeks since Izaya last heard from Shizuo.

The informant sighed and buried his face in his hands, wondering why this was bothering him so much.

After all, he should be happy!

The brute finally knew the truth and would leave him in peace.

Yet...Izaya couldn't get his mind off of what happened.

Getting out of his chair, the raven made his way over to the front door of his apartment.

Namie glanced up at her boss in confusion, watching him as he grabbed his trademark jacket.

"Where are you going? We've got work to do, Shiki-san needs this done by tomorrow." She hissed angrily.

Her employer had been doing half-assed work for the past couple weeks and frankly, she was sick of it.

Izaya didn't reply and slid on his coat, opening the door. "I'm going out for a little while..." He muttered.

Before Namie could protest, Izaya walked out and shut the door behind him.

In all honesty, he had no idea where he was going.

To apologize?

For what?!

None of this was his fault! The stupid protozoan had made a dumb mistake and that was that!

Shizuo's heartbroken expression forced it's way into his mind, almost causing him to stop in his tracks.

Dammit, he shouldn't have _touched_ that alcohol!

Now everything had blown way out of proportion.

Izaya slowly made his way down to the front of his apartment complex, noting how this was the first time he'd left the building since that night.

What was _wrong_ with him?

Since when did he care about other people's feelings?

He was Orihara Izaya, one of the cruelest men in Ikebukuro!

Letting his feet lead the way, Izaya kept his eyes on the ground.

The information broker didn't think he could bear to even meet any of his human's stares.

* * *

An hour passed before a voice brought the raven back to his senses.

Blinking, Izaya lifted his head up to find himself face to face with Simon.

"Izaya sad? Come for sushi, sushi makes all good!" The man grinned and waved towards Russia Sushi.

Said man could just barely stop himself from rolling his eyes.

"I'm not in the mood, Simon-"

On second thought, it's not like he had anything better to do.

Besides the load of work Shiki had given him.

"Actually, I think I will have something."

That could wait.

Following the larger man into the restaurant, Izaya sat down at a table and ordered ootoro as usual.

It took less than a minute to realize where he was sitting.

 _"What kind of sushi do you like?"_

Izaya shook his head, forcing himself not to look across the table where Shizuo and him had sat.

He took a sip of his water, trying to calm himself down with deep breaths.

After a little while his ootoro arrived and Izaya immediately took a bite, sighing in content.

 _"Seriously? Ootoro is super bitter!"_

Blinking, Izaya heard the blond's voice crystal clear and couldn't help but smile sadly.

He bit his lip and began observing humans.

That always brought him happiness.

 _"Hey, try not to think about other people for once. Give yourself some thought."_

Stiffening, Izaya's sharp red eyes began to glisten and he lowered his head, staring at the floor.

Shut up.

This didn't matter.

He did NOT care about what happened!

Orihara Izaya did not have feelings!

He was a God!

Everyone hated him so it was good Shizuo didn't like him anymore!

Izaya didn't need anyone in his life!

 _"You're pretty cute when you aren't doing the whole villain act, you know."_

It wasn't an act!

He was a villain!

Evil, rotten, no good, Izaya knew it!

Villains didn't care about love.

Izaya didn't...

 _"I'm giving you a chance because I feel that you haven't really shown me your true self."_

No Shizuo...this is him

He did show his real colors...

 _"I feel that we can find love in this world if we look to each other."_

Tears spilled down Izaya's cheeks before he knew it and he buried his face in his hands.

God, he was such an idiot!

All along...all along he had shoved his heart away.

Now he finally realized the truth and Shizuo was already gone.

The truth was...

"I l-love you, Shizu-chan. I'm s-so sorry..."

Crying softly, Izaya's body trembled as he thought about how willing the blond had been.

Izaya had been given another chance.

And he ruined it.

Heart breaking, the small informant was about to run into the bathroom when a hand was placed on his shoulder.

Blinking through the tears, Izaya looked up.

Everything was blurry, but he caught a glimpse of bleached blond hair and a bow tie.

"There's no need to cry, flea." Shizuo murmured.

Red eyes widening, Izaya stood up in shock.

"Shizu-chan?"


	18. Chapter 18

"Stop! Hey, where are you taking me? Let **_GO!_** " Izaya shouted furiously, red eyes burning with anger.

There was no reply from the blond walking determinedly in front of him. The informant growled and pulled against the hand tugging him all. Damn Shizuo and his stupid strength! Izaya was very aware of all the eyes on them as he was forced to walk on the busy streets of Ikebukuro hand in hand with his enemy.

 _Enemy...?_

 _You aren't enemies though, right?_

 _Not anymore._

 _..._

 _Not after your confession._

Izaya shook his head quickly and gritted his teeth. No, that was _NOT_ what happened! He had just been in a week state of mind at that moment!

So _what_ if the blond had been a little kind to him!

So _what_ if the brute had been the one constant in his life!

So what if Izaya had been happier these past few months than he'd ever been?

Lowering his head, Izaya stopped yelling at Shizuo to let him go and simply followed him silently. Part of him was curious as to where he was being led to, the other being terrified of Shizuo letting him have it. Honestly...Izaya wouldn't mind being beaten by the blond. It had happened plenty of times before, by plenty of people.

No, that wasn't the issue at all.

Izaya had been undeniably cruel to Shizuo even when the ex bartender had treated him as a human being instead of just some nuisance to be dealt with. He had shut Shizuo out, yelled at him, planned on breaking his heart...it was shocking the taller man hadn't said anything back. Now though...Izaya understood he must have taken everything too far.

Head hanging guiltily, Izaya began to berate himself for everything he'd done.

He didn't deserve Shizuo.

Suddenly the bodyguard halted, causing Izaya to accidentally bump into him. The informant blinked in surprise and looked around, wondering where they were. His confused expression immediately turned into that of an exasperated one.

They weren't on the streets anymore, but they certainly weren't in any building either.

"Why the hell are we in some dingy old alley?" Izaya sighed, knowing he shouldn't have expected anything from Shizuo. Perhaps the blond picked this place because no one would see him beating the raven into a pulp.

Bracing himself, Izaya squeezed his eyes shut as he prepared for the furious shouts of anger.

Instead, a pair of lips pressed against his own. Izaya's eyes flew open in shock and he stared at Shizuo with a frozen face. The blond stepped back and licked his lips, smiling down at Izaya.

"Hey, calm down a bit. I'd never hurt you, Izaya." He chuckled lightly and ruffled the informant's hair.

Flushing a deep red, Izaya stared at the ground from embarrassment.

He didn't slap the hand away.

"I don't know why you won't...I deserve it." Izaya mumbled, his black hair covering his eyes.

Shizuo sighed and leaned against a wall, staring up at the blue sky.

"You really don't remember this place? We were here just a little while ago." The ex bartender let his eyes flutter shut.

Izaya blinked and looked around in confusion.

Suddenly, memories he'd shoved away were thrown back inside.

 _"I mean that if you can have human feelings like this then you aren't the person I took you for. Knowing that, I can't exactly hate you and I would like to start over. How 'bout it?"_

Ah...yes. This was where his genius plan had spiraled out of control.

"This was where you thought I confessed to you." He spoke out loud, remembering the blond's reaction perfectly.

Shizuo's cheeks turned slightly pink but he nodded.

"Yeah...but that doesn't matter though. Not anymore." Shizuo replied and suddenly grabbed Izaya's had, looking at the younger male with determined eyes.

"Because we're going to do it over. For real this time." He smiled at Izaya excitedly.

The informant turned an even darker shade of red and he looked away.

"You want me...to confess." He mumbled.

All he got was a nod in return.

Sighing softly, Izaya chewed on his bottom lip nervously.

Yes, he'd said these words in the restaurant.

But...But that didn't change anything!

He didn't love Shizuo or anything...

"Stop lying to yourself, Izaya." Izaya gasped as arms wrapped around him, holding the self-proclaimed god in a protective hug.

"I won't leave you. I'm here now." The soft and gentle voice promised.

And...

Izaya believed him.

Eyes watering, he felt his walls crash down as Shizuo obliterated them one by one.

He...he could love.

It wouldn't be easy.

But...it was possible.

Tears slipped down the raven's face and fragile arms hesitantly returned the hug as if they feared the body was not actually there.

"I-I love you, Shizu-chan. I love you!" Izaya cried out and buried his face in Shizuo's chest, sobs wracking his body.

"I love you too, Izaya. It's alright to cry." A hushed voice reassured him as Izaya felt his body be rocked back and forth.

And he did.

Holding onto Shizuo tightly, Izaya sobbed as he let out the emotions he'd withheld for years.

The pain, the suffering...Izaya allowed his enemy to fill them up with joy.

Only they weren't enemies anymore.

His head tilting back, Izaya kissed Shizuo back passionately as his tears came to a stop.

 _I love you, Shizuo._

Feeling Shizuo respond to his kiss lovingly, Izaya smiled softly.

Their problems weren't over.

But for now...

He was going to enjoy the romance of the brute and the flea.


End file.
